No-balls: who, how & when
They are the three no-balls that will be recorded in the statistics books forever -- and will be remembered for shaking cricket to its core.
Millions of fans who watched Pakistan bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif send down the trio of deliveries over two days' play at Lord's, had no idea they were bowled as part of a match-rigging scam.
Incredibly, during live coverage, respected TV and radio pundits exclaimed to worldwide audiences how bad every one of the faked no-balls looked -- little knowing they were ordered by money-grabbing fixer Mazhar Majeed, who just a day earlier had collected 150,000 pounds from undercover News of the World reporters.
And it all played out like clockwork exactly as Majeed promised it would. He claimed the players had demanded we pay the cash as our entry ticket into an existing shady gambling syndicate based in India.
In return he revealed solid details of the three no-balls he'd planned for the Lord's Test:
Majeed: "There's no risk, there's no signal. . . these three are definitely happening. They've all been organised, okay? So, the first ball of the third over of the innings, yeah.
"[Mohammad] Asif and [Mohammad] Aamer are going to be bowling. Aamer is to bowl the first over [meaning he will also bowl the third], yeah?
"Okay? Then the tenth, the last ball. . . sixth ball of the tenth over."
Reporter: "The tenth over. Who's bowling it?"
Majeed: "Asif will be bowling it."
Majeed then explained that the third no-ball would come in the first over that teen wonder boy Aamer got to deliver to an England right-hander, after one of the opening two left-handers had been dismissed.
Just to convince us Aamer was onside Majeed telephoned the young star at his hotel. "Are you sleeping?" he asked crudely.
Aamer confirmed that's what he was trying to do.
"Okay, sleep," said Majeed. "We've spoken about everything before anyway. 'Okay, don't mind. You sleep'."
But when Aamer prepared for his day's work at the fourth Test on Thursday morning, he was certainly awake to what was expected of him.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt strolled out to meet England skipper Andrew Strauss in the middle of the ground shortly before the weather-delayed toss at 1.10pm on the opening day of the Test.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to put England in to bat.
Butt had his customary huddle with his team but bizarrely did not even bother to inspect the recently uncovered wicket like his opposite number Strauss. As predicted Butt put Aamer and Asif on to open the bowling.
And, as promised, on the first ball of the third over to England opening batsman Alastair Cook Aamer overstepped the white line marking his bowling crease by a huge margin.
Umpire Billy Bowden immediately raised his arm to signal the no-ball at 1:56pm.
Pakistan's 18-year-old rising star had sealed cricket's shame on the pitch once illuminated by legends including WG Grace, Ian Botham and Don Bradman.
But the sly player brazenly tried to hide the truth, raking the spikes of his boots across the line and asking for sawdust to be put down as he falsely blamed the no-ball on loose footing.
Bemused Sky commentator Ian Botham exclaimed: "No-ball. Because of the one-dayers, you don't see that too often with the bowlers who play two forms of the game. They've got into the discipline of keeping behind that front line."
The BBC online commentary read: "Dirty great no-ball from Aamer, that was fully two feet over."
Seven overs later, yet more disgrace was heaped on the game, as 27-year-old Asif also overstepped the crease on the last ball of the tenth over. He too went through the masquerade of calling for sawdust to dry the ground.
Former England captain Mike Atherton commented: "There's been a couple of biggish no-balls. He was over that front line by a good half-a-foot or so."
Play was abandoned due to bad light and rain at 5.45pm so the third no-ball promised by Majeed didn't happen.
But after play ended for the day Majeed smugly rang our reporter to brag. "You a bit more comfortable now?" he asked. "Told you. Once you showed your hand, I showed my hand, okay?"
Then he revealed how he had arranged another no-ball for the following day's play.
"Right, it's going to be Aamer's third over and third ball," he said.
"It'll be his third over, not the third over of the game." He ended the call by reminding our man: "Boss, I'm telling you, you're dealing with the right person, you're not dealing with an idiot, all right?"
But on Friday morning Majeed contacted our man saying that he'd received a message from Aamer.
Majeed said: "He's briefed up. He's just texted me now to say 'Shall I do it or not?'"
And Aamer did do it -- despite getting off to a sensational start, taking three quick wickets in nine balls.
Commentators described him as being "on fire" as England wickets tumbled to his pace attack. Aamer managed to skittle out England batsmen Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan without any of them scoring a single run. It was only the fifth time in history the third, fourth and fifth batsmen in an order had been dismissed for ducks. During the blitz, former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, commentating for Sky, said: "It's been Mohammad Aamer's morning. He's made that ball talk."
His colleague Michael Atherton said: "Remarkable stuff this morning from Pakistan and in particular Mohammad Aamer. Just 18 years of age. He's running in from the Pavilion End. He's like an old hand.
"He looks like he's going to get a wicket with every ball he bowls."
With Aamer tearing through the batsmen, Majeed quickly contacted our man, warning that the promised no-ball might have to be cancelled and that we shouldn't place big bets on it. He said the captain might tell Aamer to keep up the onslaught. "So much is happening out there at the moment," he added. Majeed was right -- captain Butt, who Majeed boasts is one of his players in the fixing scam -- did have a quick word with Aamer just before the third ball of the third over.
Usually mid-over conversations between bowlers and captains would be about the placement of fielders and whether to make any changes.
On this occasion, no changes were made, prompting commentator Michael Holding to chip in: "A quick conference between captain and the bowler. Hasn't resulted in the field being changed. Not yet."
But there was a sudden change in Aamer's form. As promised, he bowled and again placed his foot over the crease, into the banned area -- a no-ball. The umpire had a word with Aamer about the surprise delivery, pointing out how far over the line his foot had been.
On the TV replay, the side view showed he placed his foot at least eight inches past the line. It prompted bowling legend Michael Holding to exclaim: "How far over was that? Woh!"
Ian Botham added: "It's like net bowling" -- referring to when bowlers don't try so hard when they are practising in the nets.
With his next ball Aamer bowled a delivery that again caused problems for Jonathan Trott, with both commentators saying how good a ball it had been. Test Match Special listeners on BBC Radio 4 heard Jonathan Agnew and England legend Geoffrey Boycott recall how Aamer had massively overstepped the crease the day before and called the delivery a "hostile ball". Agnew explained to listeners that Aamer's boot was over the line "by a foot".
They then discussed the possibility that Aamer could have done it on purpose in a bid to deliver the quicker ball closer to the batsman.
After the disgraceful cheating by Aamer, Majeed rang back and told our man: "I'm not a joker, boss, okay? So you're confident?"
Grasping Majeed demanded yet another 10,000-pound payment. He said: "Try and get it to me four or five o'clock, yeah? Because I can give it to them as soon as they're finished, then that's done."
He explained how he was due to meet the team straight after close of play to accompany them to a charity dinner organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board. In an emotional interview after Friday's play on Friday, Aamer hid his secret shame and told of his pride at bagging his first five-wicket haul at Lord's.
The young bowler, who made a big show of kneeling to kiss the hallowed turf on reaching the landmark, told Test Match Special: "These moments are for me good. At Lord's I wanted my name on the [honours] board and I did it."
He called the delivery that snared England's Alistair Cook -- shortly before he carried out his third bent no-ball -- the "most delightful wicket."
Ironically, the cheat said it was the best day of his career so far.
-Daily Star
Incredibly, during live coverage, respected TV and radio pundits exclaimed to worldwide audiences how bad every one of the faked no-balls looked -- little knowing they were ordered by money-grabbing fixer Mazhar Majeed, who just a day earlier had collected 150,000 pounds from undercover News of the World reporters.
And it all played out like clockwork exactly as Majeed promised it would. He claimed the players had demanded we pay the cash as our entry ticket into an existing shady gambling syndicate based in India.
In return he revealed solid details of the three no-balls he'd planned for the Lord's Test:
Majeed: "There's no risk, there's no signal. . . these three are definitely happening. They've all been organised, okay? So, the first ball of the third over of the innings, yeah.
"[Mohammad] Asif and [Mohammad] Aamer are going to be bowling. Aamer is to bowl the first over [meaning he will also bowl the third], yeah?
"Okay? Then the tenth, the last ball. . . sixth ball of the tenth over."
Reporter: "The tenth over. Who's bowling it?"
Majeed: "Asif will be bowling it."
Majeed then explained that the third no-ball would come in the first over that teen wonder boy Aamer got to deliver to an England right-hander, after one of the opening two left-handers had been dismissed.
Just to convince us Aamer was onside Majeed telephoned the young star at his hotel. "Are you sleeping?" he asked crudely.
Aamer confirmed that's what he was trying to do.
"Okay, sleep," said Majeed. "We've spoken about everything before anyway. 'Okay, don't mind. You sleep'."
But when Aamer prepared for his day's work at the fourth Test on Thursday morning, he was certainly awake to what was expected of him.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt strolled out to meet England skipper Andrew Strauss in the middle of the ground shortly before the weather-delayed toss at 1.10pm on the opening day of the Test.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to put England in to bat.
Butt had his customary huddle with his team but bizarrely did not even bother to inspect the recently uncovered wicket like his opposite number Strauss. As predicted Butt put Aamer and Asif on to open the bowling.
And, as promised, on the first ball of the third over to England opening batsman Alastair Cook Aamer overstepped the white line marking his bowling crease by a huge margin.
Umpire Billy Bowden immediately raised his arm to signal the no-ball at 1:56pm.
Pakistan's 18-year-old rising star had sealed cricket's shame on the pitch once illuminated by legends including WG Grace, Ian Botham and Don Bradman.
But the sly player brazenly tried to hide the truth, raking the spikes of his boots across the line and asking for sawdust to be put down as he falsely blamed the no-ball on loose footing.
Bemused Sky commentator Ian Botham exclaimed: "No-ball. Because of the one-dayers, you don't see that too often with the bowlers who play two forms of the game. They've got into the discipline of keeping behind that front line."
The BBC online commentary read: "Dirty great no-ball from Aamer, that was fully two feet over."
Seven overs later, yet more disgrace was heaped on the game, as 27-year-old Asif also overstepped the crease on the last ball of the tenth over. He too went through the masquerade of calling for sawdust to dry the ground.
Former England captain Mike Atherton commented: "There's been a couple of biggish no-balls. He was over that front line by a good half-a-foot or so."
Play was abandoned due to bad light and rain at 5.45pm so the third no-ball promised by Majeed didn't happen.
But after play ended for the day Majeed smugly rang our reporter to brag. "You a bit more comfortable now?" he asked. "Told you. Once you showed your hand, I showed my hand, okay?"
Then he revealed how he had arranged another no-ball for the following day's play.
"Right, it's going to be Aamer's third over and third ball," he said.
"It'll be his third over, not the third over of the game." He ended the call by reminding our man: "Boss, I'm telling you, you're dealing with the right person, you're not dealing with an idiot, all right?"
But on Friday morning Majeed contacted our man saying that he'd received a message from Aamer.
Majeed said: "He's briefed up. He's just texted me now to say 'Shall I do it or not?'"
And Aamer did do it -- despite getting off to a sensational start, taking three quick wickets in nine balls.
Commentators described him as being "on fire" as England wickets tumbled to his pace attack. Aamer managed to skittle out England batsmen Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan without any of them scoring a single run. It was only the fifth time in history the third, fourth and fifth batsmen in an order had been dismissed for ducks. During the blitz, former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, commentating for Sky, said: "It's been Mohammad Aamer's morning. He's made that ball talk."
His colleague Michael Atherton said: "Remarkable stuff this morning from Pakistan and in particular Mohammad Aamer. Just 18 years of age. He's running in from the Pavilion End. He's like an old hand.
"He looks like he's going to get a wicket with every ball he bowls."
With Aamer tearing through the batsmen, Majeed quickly contacted our man, warning that the promised no-ball might have to be cancelled and that we shouldn't place big bets on it. He said the captain might tell Aamer to keep up the onslaught. "So much is happening out there at the moment," he added. Majeed was right -- captain Butt, who Majeed boasts is one of his players in the fixing scam -- did have a quick word with Aamer just before the third ball of the third over.
Usually mid-over conversations between bowlers and captains would be about the placement of fielders and whether to make any changes.
On this occasion, no changes were made, prompting commentator Michael Holding to chip in: "A quick conference between captain and the bowler. Hasn't resulted in the field being changed. Not yet."
But there was a sudden change in Aamer's form. As promised, he bowled and again placed his foot over the crease, into the banned area -- a no-ball. The umpire had a word with Aamer about the surprise delivery, pointing out how far over the line his foot had been.
On the TV replay, the side view showed he placed his foot at least eight inches past the line. It prompted bowling legend Michael Holding to exclaim: "How far over was that? Woh!"
Ian Botham added: "It's like net bowling" -- referring to when bowlers don't try so hard when they are practising in the nets.
With his next ball Aamer bowled a delivery that again caused problems for Jonathan Trott, with both commentators saying how good a ball it had been. Test Match Special listeners on BBC Radio 4 heard Jonathan Agnew and England legend Geoffrey Boycott recall how Aamer had massively overstepped the crease the day before and called the delivery a "hostile ball". Agnew explained to listeners that Aamer's boot was over the line "by a foot".
They then discussed the possibility that Aamer could have done it on purpose in a bid to deliver the quicker ball closer to the batsman.
After the disgraceful cheating by Aamer, Majeed rang back and told our man: "I'm not a joker, boss, okay? So you're confident?"
Grasping Majeed demanded yet another 10,000-pound payment. He said: "Try and get it to me four or five o'clock, yeah? Because I can give it to them as soon as they're finished, then that's done."
He explained how he was due to meet the team straight after close of play to accompany them to a charity dinner organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board. In an emotional interview after Friday's play on Friday, Aamer hid his secret shame and told of his pride at bagging his first five-wicket haul at Lord's.
The young bowler, who made a big show of kneeling to kiss the hallowed turf on reaching the landmark, told Test Match Special: "These moments are for me good. At Lord's I wanted my name on the [honours] board and I did it."
He called the delivery that snared England's Alistair Cook -- shortly before he carried out his third bent no-ball -- the "most delightful wicket."
Ironically, the cheat said it was the best day of his career so far.
-Daily Star
Wake-up call for Tigers
The latest match-fixing scandal of Pakistan gripped the Bangladesh cricket team on Sunday as they resumed practice after two days off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.The Tigers were also under the scanner just two months ago at the same Lord’s after Sakib al Hasan had confessed a day before their Test match against England that he was also approached by bookies.
The next few days after Sakib’s confession the perennially overenthusiastic British media were busy in digging deep to find any involvement of any Bangladeshi cricketers in any kind of scandal at any time.
‘It is a disgrace,’ former captain Akram Khan told reporters about the Pakistan scandal. ‘Naturally this will have an impact on world cricket and Bangladesh will not be any different.’
‘As of Bangladesh we have taken this issue quite seriously and I am confident that our players are well aware of the consequences and so they won’t make any mistakes,’ said Akram, also a selector.
Senior cricketer Mohammad Ashraful said some of his team-mates had been approached by bookies regularly but they all had the courage to refuse the lure of this cheap money.
‘We are proud to play for our country,’ said Ashraful. ‘I am sure our players are matured enough to tackle this kind of situation.’
‘Sakib and Tamim have been offered earlier but hardly had any effect as they reported it to the board immediately and it only proved our loyalty to the country,’ said Ashraful.
Arrest over Pakistan-England Test 'cricket betting scam '
A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged cricket betting scam centred on the current Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's.The News of the World claims it gave £150,000 to a middleman who gave information about three pre-arranged "no balls" during the match.
Scotland Yard said a 35-year-old man is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.
Pakistan and England said the game would resume on Sunday as planned.
A joint statement issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) read: "No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth power Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday.
"As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment."
It added that all three bodies were assisting the police with their inquiries.
Earlier, Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed told the Associated Press team members had spoken to police at their hotel and were "helping them with their inquiries".
There is no suggestion that the result of the match has been in any way fixed nor that the England players knew anything about this”
He later said he was shocked by the allegations, as were the team members to whom he had spoken.
The News of the World alleges that Pakistani players were secretly paid to deliberately bowl "no-balls" during the Test.
A "no ball" occurs when a bowler oversteps the line behind which balls should be delivered.
The newspaper claims it was given pre-warning of three separate incidents by the Pakistan team.
It said members of its reporting team posed as businessmen and paid a middleman who told them exactly what would happen in the next day's play.
The allegations relate to three "no balls" delivered by Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif on Thursday and Friday.
Speaking from the team hotel in north London, Mohammad Asif said: "I have spoken to the management and they have told us something happened, but not what. The management will tell us more later. We are 100% focused on the match tomorrow."
-Daily Star
Transfer window now in October
The players' transfer for this season's Bangladesh League has been delayed to the first week of October.In an emergency executive committee meeting of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) yesterday, it was decided to shift the transfer date to October 1 to 7, from the original date of September 1 to 20.
In some other developments, the contract of Robert Rubcic for the job of national team coach has been approved and the signing with the 46-year-old Croatian will be done through the internet.
It is also expected that Rubcic will join the players early next month.
The committee also confirmed that the calendar for the upcoming season will be announced in the first few days of September, and it will have as many as 45 tournaments, including age-group tournaments.
However, the focal point of the meeting was the change in the transfer date.
The change took place after seven clubs -- Brothers Union, Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society, Farashganj Sporting Club, Arambagh Krira Sangha, Chittagong Mohammedan, Chittagong Abahani, Feni Soccer Club and Sheikh Russel -- made the demand to the BFF league committee.
The clubs had pleaded with the BFF to defer the transfer by two months and start it in November, following discussion with the club representatives.
They first sent the letter to BFF president Kazi Salahuddin who asked the clubs to give it to the league committee and having discussed the contents of the letter, the committee referred it to the executive committee meeting.
The plea made by the clubs was deemed 'realistic' because the clubs would find it difficult to make payments as the initial transfer window fell in the middle of the Eid Ul Fitr holidays.
"The clubs made the demand and we think it is realistic, as the last ten days of the transfer window [September 1-20] will clash with the Eid holidays," said BFF general secretary Al Musabbir Sadi.
In the first letter, the clubs claimed that they “have been going through financial trouble following the third edition of the Bangladesh League, which took 10 months to be completed instead of five. Consequently the clubs had to pay more money to the foreign players as well as spend additional money to run football camps.
“Despite having known the extent of the financial status facing the clubs, the football federation hurriedly announced the players transfer for the 2010 season without announcing the annual calendar.
“Hence, the clubs are now in the dark about when the league will start and finish. The clubs therefore appeal to the BFF to announce the annual calendar before the announcement of transfer.”
The transfer window for the foreign players however has remained between September 1 and October 15.
-Daily Star
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